Glenda Brown used to wake up in the middle of the night starved for breath. Seeking relief, she’d race to throw open her bedroom window just to inhale a rush of cold air to soothe her cramping chest.

Diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, in 2001, the 62-year-old Winchester resident spent nearly two decades fighting for each breath. Like many of her generation, Brown says she began smoking when she was just 17 years old.

But in 2000, nearly 30 years after she first picked up a cigarette, Brown became fed up and quit cold turkey.

Although she had successfully quit smoking, Brown’s breathing worsened over the years. A quality engineer for L3 Communications, she had to quit the job she loved once she required oxygen 24/7. In 2008, her husband died, leaving her to care for herself at home.

She developed severe bronchitis in late 2009, leading to a hospitalization. Her local physician referred her to a doctor in Lexington, who in turn referred her to the UK Transplant Center for a lung transplant.

However, Brown didn’t take the referral – at least not right away. The thought of undergoing a transplant frightened her, and she thought if she just waited a little longer, the situation would improve.

“I was trying to fool myself,” she said. “I put off going to UK for years because I was so scared.”

Working her way to a transplant

A Florida native, Brown said she had friends and family back home begging her to return to the Sunshine State, with a cousin even suggesting she come see a local pulmonologist in Gainesville who specialized in transplant and had cared for an acquaintance.

“She kept telling me, ‘You need to come down here and see this doctor, he’s the best,'” Brown recalled.

Brown finally decided to come to UK to complete the evaluation for lung transplant. Once here, she met Dr. Maher Baz – who had just joined the UK Transplant Center and just so happened to be the same Florida pulmonologist her cousin had suggested she come see.

“She was barely able to live independently,” Baz said. “She was on oxygen around the clock and couldn’t do much outside the house.”

Glenda Brown with Dr. Maher Baz.

Brown took an instant liking to Dr. Baz – and yet still couldn’t bring herself to do a full transplant workup. She waited nearly two more years before finally coming back to complete all the necessary testing patients must undergo before being listed for a transplant. When Brown finally returned to UK, Baz said he could tell that she’d had enough.

“I think she decided to throw caution to the wind once she convinced herself that this is not a life she wanted to live,” Baz said. “She embraced change, and decided to replace it with an active and independent lifestyle.”

“I decided to leave it all in God’s hands and had the attitude that if this is to happen, then it will happen,” Brown said.

‘I get to live again’

On March 9, 2016, Brown was officially listed for transplant. Most patients in Brown’s situation might wait months or even years to hear good news, but just four days later, she got a call at home from the transplant nurse coordinator at UK.

“She told me they’d found a matching pair of lungs, and [asked] did I want them?” Brown said. “I said, ‘Yes!’ It was the scariest time of my life.”

UK HealthCare cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. Alexis Shafii performed Brown’s surgery. Although the procedure was successful, Brown says she woke up expecting to feel instant relief in her breathing pattern, only to find herself still gasping in short, shallow breaths. Shafii calmly told her she would need to retrain her body.

Dr. Alexis Shafii

“He said, ‘Breathe, Glenda. Let those lungs do their job,'” she said. “I was so used to shallow breathing that I actually had to practice deep breathing.”

Brown spent three months in the ICU following her transplant and has been undergoing pulmonary and physical therapy to strengthen her lungs and body ever since. Almost 18 months post-transplant, she says her quality of life has dramatically improved and she’s been more active than ever – even taking Zumba for the first time.

“I get to live again,” Brown said. “I’m doing things I haven’t been able to do in years.”

Some of the best survival rates in the country

Lung transplants are notorious for being the riskiest all of organ transplants. They are especially vulnerable to infection because the lungs are the only transplanted organ that are regularly exposed to the environment through the process of breathing. They are also more difficult to harvest because of infection risk and because their soft, pliable tissue is easily injured.

The average lifespan of transplanted lungs averages five to six years, though some patients are able to keep their lungs for a decade or more. Improving lung transplant outcomes continues to be a point of focus for medical teams across the country. As UK builds the capacity of its lung transplant program, the team has achieved some excellent progress on that front – their survival rates are consistently better than the national benchmark, with the most recent biannual report from the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients showing that UK currently has the best one-year survival rates for lung transplant in the country.

As the medical director of the lung transplantation program at UK, Baz credits a team approach for UK’s success, noting that it takes the collaboration of surgeons, pulmonologists, nurses, nurse coordinators, physical therapists, dietitians, discharge planners and social workers to help patients achieve optimal outcomes.

And the team is growing as patient volume grows: Another lung transplant surgeon will be joining UK in a few months, with two more pulmonologists coming on board in the next year.

“We meet as a group and try to have a consensus on all major decisions involving patient care,” Baz said. “It takes the dedication of every team member. Repetition sharpens your skills; plus a bit of luck helps. But luck also favors the prepared mind.”

No looking back

As for Brown, Baz says her prognosis looks very good for the foreseeable future ­– she’s able to live independently, stay active and can travel without barriers and without oxygen tanks for the first time in years. After another year or two in Winchester, she plans to move back to Florida to spend quality time with her son, stepdaughter and four grandchildren.

And though many former smokers say they still sometimes long for a draw on a cigarette even decades after they’ve quit, Brown says she has no desire to pick up a cigarette again, a resolve that was strengthened by the gift she’s been given.

“I know exactly what I went through when smoking and what it did to my lungs,” she said. “And I would never disrespect the person who gave me these new lungs. … I’m so blessed.”

In November 2015, Frankfort-native Brian Chenault went to the doctor for what appeared to be a bout of pneumonia.

After more than a year of struggling with the illness, Chenault received some much more distressing news: A viral infection had damaged his heart beyond repair. This past January, the 39-year-old was referred to UK HealthCare for a heart transplant.

“I was scared to death,” he said. “I prayed about it, and then somehow I was OK with it and in a good place mentally.”

On March 25, Chenault was successfully transplanted and says his life has completely turned around.

“I feel great,” he said. “I feel the way I did before anything ever happened to me.”

This past Saturday, Chenault showed his gratitude for his organ donor by speaking at the Gift of Life Celebration, an annual ceremony held by UK HealthCare and Kentucky Organ Donor Affiliates (KODA) to honor those who chose to give the gift of life.

The importance of organ donation

This year, more than 175 donor family members and friends attended the celebration, while the names of 26 donors were read aloud and unveiled on the Gift of Life wall, located inside Pavilion A adjacent to the UK Gill Heart & Vascular Institute.

Each year, the wall is updated to honor both new donors and those who have donated in years past. Since the wall was first unveiled in 2012, more than 400 donors have been memorialized.

For patients struggling with organ failure, a transplant may be their only option for survival. Every year, an estimated 6,000 people die while waiting for an organ transplant. More than 117,000 Americans are currently waiting for donated organs, including more than 1,000 people in Kentucky.

Their names are on the United Network for Organ Sharing waiting list. The level of necessity, blood type, and size are among several criteria that determine who can receive a donated organ. One individual donor can provide organs and tissue for nearly 50 people in need.

Honoring those who donated

Knowing that their loved one was responsible for saving others offers some small solace for the donor families. Lisa and Tom Blevins lost their 22-year-old son, Keenan, in early 2016.

“We were on our way to the hospital, just trying to think of one good thing that could come of this,” Tom said. “When KODA approached us, we had our answer.”

Keenan ultimately saved six lives, and his name was added to the memorial this year.

“It’s just a great way to honor him,” Lisa said.

For Chenault, hearing that he’d been matched with a donor came with a bevy of mixed feelings.

“I was excited, nervous and a little scared all at the same time,” he said. “But it was also bittersweet because I knew that meant a family had lost a loved one.”

During the ceremony, the crowd listened in rapt silence as Chenault spoke, halting his words periodically to compose himself. He noted that organ donation doesn’t just make a difference in a single individual’s life – it also impacts everyone in that person’s circle.

“Not only did I need this heart, but my daughter, my wife, my family and my friends all needed this heart,” he said. “Thank you.”

Next steps:

Learn more about the UK Transplant Center, which specializes in the care of patients with advanced, end-stage organ disease. Each year, we perform more than 170 transplant procedures, helping patients from initial consultation through surgery and beyond.

In 2011, Bruce Smith sat in his office preparing to make handouts for a meeting, like any other normal work day. But when he sat in front of his computer, he suddenly realized something frightening: He’d lost all understanding of how to use the machine. Bewildered at the sudden lapse in cognition, he said his coworkers thought he was joking around.

That moment was the first of many “lapses” to come. Smith was a diabetic, and his doctors initially thought his mental fog episodes were due to low blood sugar. When that was ruled out, they suspected he might be suffering from a series of mini-strokes.

“It was like I was taking a trip but never leaving the farm, you know?” said Smith, who is from Belfry, Ky. “I was awake but always taking naps.”

It wasn’t until Smith was referred to UK HealthCare that he got a diagnosis: hepatic encephalopathy, a term used to describe the mental fog that accompanies severe liver failure and a common occurrence in patients in need of a transplant. The liver’s job is to filter toxins from the body, and when it fails, the toxins accumulate in the bloodstream and wreak havoc elsewhere.

The team at UK determined that Smith’s liver was failing due to non-alcoholic cirrhosis. Although neither of his parents had the disease, one may have been a carrier and passed the gene down to Smith.

After getting a second opinion from the Cleveland Clinic confirming the diagnosis, Smith opted to remain at UK to be listed for a transplant. Liver transplant patients are assessed with a score known as the Model for End-stage Liver Disease, or MELD, which measures the amount of toxins in the blood and determines the patient’s position on the transplant waiting list. The higher the MELD score, the greater the severity of the disease and need for transplant.

Making the case for a transplant

Smith’s MELD score remained relatively stable for the next four years. However, his mental function continued to decline. As Smith’s symptoms worsened, his doctors at UK referred him to neurologists at the Kentucky Neuroscience Institute, where they diagnosed him with a much more serious condition.

“Bruce started out with hepatic encephalopathy, but then developed hepatocerebral degeneration, an extremely rare form of brain injury,” said Dr. Malay Shah, director of the liver transplant program at UK. “The exact cause of this disease is unknown, but liver transplant is the only cure.”

Many symptoms of hepatocerebral degeneration closely resemble those of Parkinson’s disease. In Smith’s case, he had trouble with speech, gait ataxia (uncoordinated movement and problems with balance) and ever-worsening dementia. Smith says he was essentially home-bound. He was unable to return to work, often couldn’t go to church and avoided going out for fear of experiencing an episode.

“I was asking, ‘Why me, Lord?'” he said. “‘What’s going on?'”

Although Smith’s liver toxicity remained stable – thus keeping his MELD score lower than necessary to receive a transplant – Shah said he knew he needed to push harder for Smith to be transplanted as soon as possible. He wrote a letter of appeal to the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), a nonprofit organization that manages the nation’s organ transplant system, making the case for the severity of Smith’s situation.

“I appealed to UNOS to make Bruce’s MELD score higher than his lab values would suggest because hepatocerebral degeneration needs to be treated with a liver transplant,” Shah said. “Without an expeditious transplant, this disorder becomes permanent and irreversible. At that point, a transplant would be contraindicated because of the permanent neurologic damage from the disease.”

Shah’s appeal was successful, and on Sept. 27, 2015, Smith got a call from UK just as he was arriving home from church. He and his wife packed up and headed to Lexington to prep for surgery.

“I had all this happiness, excitement,” Smith said. “But also the fright of undergoing a major surgery.”

At 2 a.m. the next morning, Smith received his new liver – and a new lease on life. Since his transplant, things have improved drastically. He recovered fully from the surgery, and he underwent physical and occupational therapy to build back his strength and improve some of the basic skills he’d lost during his illness.

“I had to relearn how to write straight,” Smith said. “I had to use a ruler to sign paperwork.”

Becoming an organ donor advocate

As a surgeon who sees firsthand what a difference a transplant can make in the lives of his patients, Shah is passionate about raising awareness for organ donation. He notes that part of his job is making sure patients understand the gift they’ve been given.

“Our patients rely on the generosity of others to have a second chance in life,” Shah said. “And that’s exactly what I impart on my patients prior to transplant – that they and I literally owe it to the donor and their family to do the very best we can to take care of that generous gift.”

One way Smith is using his gift is by educating others on his personal experience. He is now a member and ambassador for Kentucky Organ Donor Affiliates (KODA), the organization that runs the Kentucky Organ Donor Registry, educates the public on organ donation and honors those who have given the gift of life. He was recently featured on a billboard for KODA in Eastern Kentucky and says sharing his story is one thing he can do to honor his donor.

“What a selfless decision that person, or their family, made,” Smith said. “This is my way of giving back. Hopefully, it will get folks interested in becoming a donor and ultimately making a difference in someone else’s life.”

“Bruce is a wonderful patient and a great donor advocate for KODA,” Shah said. “It’s nice to see folks like him work with the organ bank to help educate others in their respective communities about how organ donation can help their neighbors.”

Although he is unable to work, Smith has returned to an active lifestyle that includes walking, performing and creating. He plays guitar as a hobby and gives lessons to those in his community. He has a small workshop behind his house, where he dabbles in woodworking and metalworking. None of these things would have been possible without the transplant he received a little less than two years ago.

But perhaps most importantly, he says, he lived to be able to hold his first grandchild, born just over a month ago, with a second grandchild coming next month.

“You push through death’s doors and go through what I’ve been through,” Smith said, describing his thoughts when he first held his grandchild, “and I just thank God that I’m alive to hold this little thing.”

Smith holding his newborn granddaughter.

Next steps:

Learn more about the UK Transplant Center, which specializes in the care of patients with advanced, end-stage organ disease. Each year, we perform more than 170 transplant procedures, helping patients from initial consultation through surgery and beyond.

For patients with kidney disease who want to live a life free of dialysis, kidney transplantation is the best option.

Donor kidneys come from two sources. The first source is from deceased donors, or individuals who have passed away but still have viable, healthy organs. Unfortunately, the need for deceased-donor kidneys is far greater than the availability, which means patients often have to wait years for a transplant.

Living donation is the second source of donor kidneys and is an excellent alternative to deceased donation. The wait time for transplant can be a matter of weeks rather than years, and kidneys from living donors tend to work better and last longer than kidneys from deceased donors. About one third of kidney transplants performed in the United States come from living donation, which has increasingly become the gold standard in kidney transplantation.

Learn more below about who can become a living donor and what the process entails.

Becoming a living donor

Sharing the “gift of life” is a selfless act that can have a profound impact on someone else. The UK Transplant Center is committed to guiding you through the donation process, which includes the following:

A thorough evaluation to determine if donation is a safe option for you.

A multidisciplinary medical team involved in evaluation, surgery and follow-up care.

Living donor qualifications

In order to be a compatible living donor, you must:

Be at least 18 years old.

Be in excellent overall health.

Have above average kidney function.

Have a willingness to help.

You do not have to be a blood relative of the recipient. A spouse, friend, coworker or anyone who is willing to help may be eligible to donate.

Evaluation

You will be asked to complete a medical questionnaire that will be reviewed by the Living Donor Committee. If approved to move forward, you will be scheduled for a thorough medical evaluation and screening process including lab work; testing; and social work, medical and surgical consultations. If the established criteria are met, your living donor transplant operation will be scheduled at a time convenient for you.

Surgery

You will be admitted to the hospital on the day of transplant and can usually go home two to three days after the procedure. The donor surgeon uses a laparoscopic technique with small incisions, shortening the recovery time in the hospital and generally allowing you to return to work within four to six weeks.

Cost

There is no cost to you or your insurance for medical care. You will be followed by the UK Transplant Center for two years after donation at no cost.

Next steps:

If you’re interested in being considered as a living donor, contact the UK Transplant Living Donor Program at 859-323-2467.

Learn more about the UK Transplant Center, which has performed more than 2,500 kidney transplants and has developed a reputation for excellence in kidney transplantation.

http://ukhealthcare.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/living-donor.jpg5001200UK HealthCarehttp://ukhealthcare.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/UKHCLogo288x73.jpgUK HealthCare2017-04-27 20:08:382017-04-27 20:08:38What does it take to be a living organ donor?

Nearly 1,000 Kentuckians are currently waiting for a life-saving organ donation. April is National Donate Life Month, and the perfect time to think about becoming an organ donor. If you’re interested in becoming an organ donor, but not sure exactly what it entails, check out our frequently asked questions below.

How many people are waiting for an organ transplant?

More than 119,000 people nationally are currently waiting for an organ transplant. About 134 people are added to the waiting list each day – one every 10 minutes. Although approximately 80 organ transplants take place every day, on average, 18 patients die each day while waiting because the organ they needed did not become available in time.

What is the difference between organ and tissue donation?

Organ donation involves the transplantation of solid organs, such as the heart, lungs, kidneys, liver and pancreas. However, tissue donation is also extremely important. More than 1 million tissue transplants are done nationally each year, and the surgical need for tissue has been steadily rising.

Examples of tissue that can be donated include skin, bone, heart valves, blood vessels and even corneas. These donated tissues can make a huge difference in the quality of life for many patients.

What is “living donation?”

Although most donations will take place after the donor is deceased, it is possible for a living person to donate some organs or tissues. The most common is living kidney donation – because humans have two kidneys, it is possible for a person to donate one kidney. Additionally, lobes of the liver or lungs can be given by a living donor. Tissues that can be donated by a living donor include skin, bone marrow and blood stem cells.

Most living donations take place between family or close friends, but sometimes they do take place between complete strangers.

Am I too old to become an organ donor?

No. You can sign up to be an organ donor, regardless of your age or medical history. The transplant team will determine at the time of your death whether your organs are healthy enough to be donated.

If I’m a donor, will doctors try to save my life?

Yes! If you’re admitted to the hospital, your doctor’s priority is your health and well-being. Donation will not be considered until all other lifesaving options have been pursued.

How can I become an organ donor?

The best way to become an organ donor is to join the Organ Donor Registry. You can do this at the DMV when you renew your driver’s license, or join online anytime at donatelifeky.org.

A single donor can save or improve the lives of more than 50 people through organ and tissue donation. It only takes minutes to join the registry, and your decision could give the gift of life to a patient in dire need.

Next steps:

Learn more about the UK Transplant Center, which specializes in the care of patients with advanced, end-stage organ disease. Each year, we perform more than 170 transplant procedures, helping patients from initial consultation through surgery and beyond.

http://ukhealthcare.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/organ-donor.jpg5001200UK HealthCarehttp://ukhealthcare.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/UKHCLogo288x73.jpgUK HealthCare2017-04-25 13:35:222017-04-25 13:35:22Sign up now to become an organ donor and help save lives

He pushed through a failing heart for a decade, determined to avoid undergoing a transplant. But in the past year, 49-year-old Conrad Webster knew his time was almost up.

The stoic Louisville resident and Operation Desert Storm veteran, who was used to showing no weaknesses, was ready to seek serious help.

“I was getting scared because I was just getting so sick,” he said. “I was sick all the time, it just drained me.”

Diagnosed with cardiomyopathy – thickening and weakening of the heart muscles – in 2006, Webster spent the next several years managing the disease with medications. As his condition worsened, he experienced transient ischemic attacks (mini-strokes) from blood clots around his neck and heart.

Complicating matters further, Webster had also inherited polycystic kidney disease unrelated to his heart problems. This condition causes the kidneys to fill with cysts and ultimately fail. He began going in for dialysis three times a week, ultimately receiving medication for his heart during these trips as well.

In March, Webster’s problems came to a head when he collapsed at his fiancee’s house in Cincinnati, complaining of a severe headache.

“I couldn’t stand up,” he said. “I think I was crashing.”

As his daughters held him up, his fiancée, Leticia Willis, called 911 and he was rushed to a local community hospital. But Webster needed both a heart and kidney transplant, and dual organ transplants aren’t performed at every transplant center. After being turned away at three different regional transplant centers, Webster’s sister contacted UK’s transplant coordinators and he came in for an evaluation.

“Nothing seemed to work,” Willis said. “We were happy to come here. We were ready to try anything.”

At UK, he was evaluated by members of both the heart and kidney transplant teams. Due to the severity of his medical issues, Webster says UK cardiothoracic transplant surgeon Dr. Alexis Shafii told him he needed to be admitted right away.

“Dr. Shafii looked at me and said, ‘You’re not gonna leave here today,’” Webster said. “He said I probably wouldn’t have made it back home.”

On April 11, he was listed for transplant, holding a spot high on the waiting list.

Many patients endure a lengthy hospital stay once they’re listed for transplant, but Webster’s wait was surprisingly short – just three weeks after he was admitted, and only a week of being listed for transplant, he learned that doctors had found a compatible donor. Willis, a nurse who works night shift, had returned to Cincinnati to work when she got a call from Webster to come back to UK.

“He called me and said, ‘You have to get back right away, they have a donor,’” she said. “He was talking so fast and crying, I could barely understand him.”

On April 18, around 2 a.m., Webster officially received his new heart, while his kidney was transplanted about 12 hours later. Following heart transplants, patients are usually encouraged to become mobile, often walking laps with assistance around the cardiovascular intensive care unit on the 8th floor of UK Chandler Hospital’s Pavilion A. A few days after Webster’s surgery, medical staff had him up out of bed and moving around, and within weeks, he had already regained a surprising amount of strength and stamina.

“I was walking so fast, they said they knew I’d be out of there real quick,” Webster said.

On May 14, just under a month after his double-organ transplant, Webster was discharged to go home. Since then, every day is an improvement on the last.

After overcoming a decade of serious illness, Webster can finally focus on enjoying life. He’s making plans to travel more, and in October, he and Willis – partners for 11 years – plan to get married. Though Louisville is his hometown, UK and its staff of transplant specialists will always hold a special significance.

“They’re unbelievable, they keep up with me all the time,” he said. “I found the right place. No one else would do my transplant, and I was running out of time.”

Next steps:

To join the Kentucky Organ Donor Registry, visit www.donatelifeky.org or sign up when you renew your driver’s license. The donor registry enables family members to know that you chose to save and enhance lives through donation. Kentucky’s “First Person Consent” laws mean that the wishes of an individual on the registry will be carried out as requested.

The UK Transplant Center specializes in the care of patients with advanced, end-stage organ disease. Learn more about our services.

On April 2, 1991, Dr. Michael Sekela performed the first heart transplant in the University of Kentucky’s history.

It’s been 25 years since that first operation, and we’ve been saving lives through heart transplantation ever since. In fact, we now do more than 40 heart transplants each year, and in 2015 we set a single-year record for the most heart transplants at one hospital in Kentucky.

While much has changed since Dr. Sekela’s first transplant, one thing has stayed the same: our commitment to providing the best care for patients with heart failure.

That commitment was on display earlier this week when patients gathered with staff and doctors from the UK Gill Heart Institute and the UK Transplant Center to celebrate 25 years of heart transplants at UK HealthCare.

“It’s so rewarding to see how our program has evolved,” Sekela said at the celebration. “We want to take care of our patients, and that’s always been the driving force of our program.”

Jim Holdiness, who received his new heart on Aug. 24, 1995, said UK HealthCare gave him a second chance at life.

“If hadn’t been for those people, in this hospital, I wouldn’t be here today,” he said.

Daniel Garcia received his new heart just earlier this year, but echoed Holdiness’ sentiment.

“I haven’t had this much energy in 25 years,” he said. “When I think of UK, I think of excellence and compassion. Everyone had my well-being in mind.”

Patients who are seen at the Transplant and Specialty Clinic at Norton Audubon Hospital in Louisville will continue receiving care at that facility. If you have any questions, please contact us at 866-285-4337.

Transplant Games flag stopping at UK HealthCare

The Transplant Games of America’s National Flag Tour will stop at UK HealthCare on Thursday to celebrate organ donors and recipients on its way to the 2016 Games in June.

Prior to the games, the official flags of the event travel across the country to help raise awareness of organ donation. The flags are also signed by the members of each state’s team. Members of Team Kentucky will be present to sign the flag this Thursday.

Karen Michul, a UK HealthCare employee and living kidney donor, will be participating in the Games for the second time this year, competing in several bowling events.

“Seeing the camaraderie of the donor families and recipients at the Games is amazing,” Michul said. “And some of these people are meeting for the first time! It’s an emotional ride.”

The flag will be on display and available for Team Kentucky to sign this Thursday at 10 a.m. inside the atrium of UK Albert B. Chandler Hospital Pavilion A. If you’re planning to attend, we encourage you to wear blue and green, the colors of Donate Life. Following the flag-signing and a few short remarks, you’re also welcome to stay a short photo session to celebrate the gift of life.

About the UK Transplant Center

For more than 50 years, people have turned to the UK Transplant Center to find answers to difficult problems and guidance in the face of uncertainty.

If you have organ disease or failure, we’re here to help. We specialize in the care of patients with advanced, end-stage organ disease, performing more than 170 transplant procedures every year. UK Transplant Center has clinic locations in Lexington, Louisville and Northern Kentucky, providing care for our transplant patients near the communities where they live and work.

Next steps:

Learn more about UK’s transplant procedures, including kidney, lung, liver, heart and pancreas transplants, and kidney and lung transplants for children.

On Wednesday, we announced our first “kidney donor chain,” and patients in the the chain learned who their respective donors/recipients were.

Kidney donor chains, also called kidney paired exchanges, occur when a living kidney donor is incompatible with their intended recipient. The donor may agree to donate their kidney to a different patient, provided that their loved one receives a kidney from someone else.

When multiple pairs are involved, this causes a domino effect, with each recipient receiving a matched kidney from a stranger. That’s what happened here at UK HealthCare in June.

Eight surgeries were performed within 48 hours and four people were given their lives back.

Check out our infographic to see how it all worked.

The chain was initiated by one altruistic donor who was willing to give her kidney to anyone who needed it: Nicki Coulter, a former nurse from Bloomfield, Ky.

“I used to be a nurse, and I just felt like this was something I needed to do,” Coulter said. “I was blessed with good health and a good support system in my family. So I decided to do it!”